Let’s play some State of the Union games! The State of the Union drinking game or State of the Union BINGO – the choice is yours!

Tonight’s the night. January 30, 2018 at 9 pm EST, in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives, the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump will give his State of the Union speech. Not that we expect the SOTU to be BORING or anything that comes out of our president’s mouth, but why not liven the mood up a bit with a game? We’ve created 2 fun State of the Union games for you to play while watching the speech tonight. Here are the free printables!

State of the Union 2018 Drinking Game

Here is our first of two State of the Union games, it’s a drinking game. Choose your liquid wisely. We are not responsible for overconsumption.

You COULD just do this with lemonade, but whatever your drink of choice is – enjoy playing our State of the Union drinking game. Either print the JPG below or click here to download the free SOTU Drinking Game printable. Again, use at your own risk! If you do use, we would love to see photos! Post them to our wall at fb.com/digitalmomblog

State of the Union BINGO

Alright BINGO lovers, this one is for you. To help keep you engaged and entertained tonight, we have created a State of the Union BINGO card just for you. As the President mentions one of the words, just mark it off! Play whichever game of BINGO you like, good luck with blackout! You can download the free SOTU BINGO image below or we have created a free State of the Union Bingo printable PDF.

Be informed, stay engaged and have fun! Isn’t that what life is all about? We hope you enjoy these State of the Union games! Remember, if you use these – we would love to see photos of your game! post a photo to our wall at fb.com/digitalmomblog and make sure to like our page!

Disclosure:Post sponsored by NutriBullet but all opinions are my own. Does your 2018 include a resolution to get healthy? After our house flooded and we started living in a hotel, we decided to not worry about New Year’s resolutions. With a kitchenette and 6 mouths to feed, we have to eat the majority of our meals out. It’s hard to eat healthily, but we have found a hack that helps us make healthy choices while living in a hotel – here it is..

NutriBullet Balance Tech Review

Our friends at NutriBullet asked if we would be interested in trying out their new NutriBullet Balance just before the new year. It looked like a cool kitchen tech device and perfect for making smoothies. We were excited to try it out. We received it the day of our house flooding. When we moved into the hotel, the NutriBullet Balance came with us and let me just say, it’s been a God-send!

What is a NutriBullet?

Before I go in further, are you familiar with the NutriBullet? I had heard of the device but hadn’t used one. I had a blender, that’s all I needed for a smoothie, right? Here is the deal. Our blender is big and clunky. We constantly lose all of the parts and struggle to find a place to put it in our cabinets. The NutriBullet offers a minimal, compact design. Clean up is hassle-free and it has an amazing nutrient extraction power. The design of the NutriBullet allows you to even drink from the cup that you blend with. I mentioned how simple clean-up was right? Have you tried cleaning a standard blender? It’s a pain. The Nutribullet cups fit on the top-rack of the dishwasher (that’s right! the cup is dishwasher safe) and the blade cleans easily with soap and water.

NutriBullet vs NutriBullet Balance

NutriBullet vs NutriBullet Balance

Now that we know what a NutriBullet is, let’s talk about the NutriBullet Balance. So what is the difference between the NutriBullet and the NutriBullet Balance? The NutriBullet Balance takes the NutriBullet to a whole new level. The NutriBullet Balance syncs with the Balance App via Bluetooth to send nutritional information to your smart device. Why would you want a Bluetooth connected NutriBullet? Check this out. The NutriBullet Balance has the ability to tell you the nutrition value of your smoothie. It works via the NutriBullet Balance app and lets you create recipes and as you add the ingredients via the app and the blender, the ingredients are weighed with the Nutribullet and the app informs you of the nutrition value.

I don’t know about your family, but we make a lot of smoothies in our house. I have to admit, I never really thought about the nutrients in the smoothies that we were making. That has since changed now that we know how easy it is to find out what the nutrition value is of what you are putting in your smoothie!

Let’s Make a Smoothie

Let’s walk thru step-by-step of making a smoothie and finding out the nutrition value of your smoothie by using the NutriBullet Balance and NutriBullet Balance app. Every night, our kids like to have a night snack. Living in a hotel room – again, trying to make GOOD healthy choices, we have started making smoothies as their night time snack. Here is my 7-year-old Izaiah, helping me unbox and make a smoothie.

Since I have a recipe that I’ve created myself, I am going to input this information in the app to calculate the nutrition info and save it for later use. My recipe will also be available for other app users to see so that they can create it on their own! If you are looking for a new smoothie idea, check the app! There are numerous smoothie recipes to choose from. Bonus – did I mention that the NutriBullet Balance makes more than smoothies? Check out the soups and dessert recipes in the app as well! Here is how you will use the app when creating your own recipe:

First, download the NutriBullet Balance app. Don’t worry, it’s free and available for both Android and iPhone!

Next, let’s connect our NutriBullet Balance to Bluetooth.

Now that we are connected, let’s make a smoothie!

Open your app and choose “Create a Recipe” and click “Start”

Set your NutriBullet cup empty, in the blender. No blade, the cup should you be standing up just like a cup!

Click “Add ingredient” and select what you are putting in your smoothies (ex. bananas, strawberries, etc.)

Next, add the actual ingredient to the cup. The NutriBullet Balance will measure how much you are putting into the cup and tell you the nutrition value.

Continue with each ingredient.

Click Save!

Your smoothie recipe with nutritional information is now saved on your app for easy access anytime you want to make that smoothie! Remember, you can use the NutriBullet Balance for more than smoothies! I’m looking forward to trying out a few soups. It’s cold here in Texas, perfect soup weather and we are so sick of eating out.

Final Thoughts

The NutriBullet Balance offers a great way to make a perfect smoothie. The product is very well made, super easy to use and clean. Living in a hotel isn’t easy, but it’s great having a compact device that we can utilize to help us make healthy, homemade choices. Here is what the kid thinks:

Hey Dallas! Don’t you just love all of the amazing musicals coming to the Big D? We are super excited to tell you that THE COLOR PURPLE is headed to Dallas! Tickets are available now and performances are at the Music Hall at Fair Park from January 23 – February 4, 2017.

Adrianna Hicks (Celie) and N’Jameh Camara (Nettie) and the North American tour cast of THE COLOR PURPLE. Photo by Matthew Murphy, 2017.

Based on the Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and the Warner Bros. / Amblin Entertainment motion picture, THE COLOR PURPLE is adapted for the stage by Tony- and Pulitzer-winner Marsha Norman with
music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray. Tony Award®. If you aren’t familiar with THE COLOR PURPLE, here are a 4 fun facts to know:

THE COLOR PURPLE Musical in Dallas

THE COLOR PURPLE went on to win two 2016 Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical, two Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Revival of a Musical, the 2017 Grammy Award® for Best Musical Theater Album and a Daytime Emmy®.

The revival of THE COLOR PURPLE opened to great acclaim in summer 2013 at London’s Menier Chocolate Factory, followed by a Broadway bow on November 10, 2015 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre.

THE COLOR PURPLE played 483 performances on Broadway, closing on January 8, 2017.

Groups of 10 or more get concierge service and can receive a special discount on their tickets. To book a group, please call (214) 426-4768 or email Groups@DallasSummerMusicals.org.

Carrie Compere (Sofia) and the North American tour cast of THE COLOR PURPLE. Photo by Matthew Murphy, 2017.

Single tickets for the Dallas engagement of THE COLOR PURPLE, starting at $20 (pricing subject to change), are now on sale at DallasSummerMusicals.org or by phone at 1 (800) 745-3000. They can also be purchased in person at the Music Hall at Fair Park Box Office Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The North American tour cast of THE COLOR PURPLE. Photo by Matthew Murphy, 2017.

The Dallas Summer Musicals 2018

Dallas Summer Musicals highly anticipated 2017-18 season will continue with ON YOUR FEET!, February 27- March 11, 2018; WAITRESS, March 28-April 8, 2018; LES MISÉRABLES, April 24-May 6, 2018; DISNEYS THE LION KING, June 13-July 8, 2018; LOVE NEVER DIES: The Phantom Returns, July 24-August 5, 2018; and closing the season will be SCHOOL OF ROCK, August 15-26, 2018.

You guys here is the deal… 2017 sucked. Like seriously sucked. I am so NOT one of those down in the dumps, life sucks, HELP ME – type people. In fact, I typically would see myself as the opposite, but for reals, last year SUCKED.

2017 Sucked

Concussion

Autism diagnosis

SUMMER OF HELL (first time with 4 kids at home)

Kid somehow got 2 splinters under the big toenail

Corporate America job went under (blessing, but a massive change)

Ovarian cyst from HELL (11cm ovarian cyst that had to be surgically removed – not sure how else you remove it :))

Husband terribly sick which we find out he needs to get his COLON REMOVED (no big)

ADHD diagnosis

Pulled tendon

9 visits to the urgent care in DECEMBER

Right before the husband is to go in for his colostomy (colon removal surgery) – he comes down with DOUBLE pneumonia

These were just hell points that were personal. It feels like the nation is going to hell, but I am so not going into that here. Let’s just say 2017 SUCKED. But I’m not one to dwell. I am a pickup, let’s just put our heads down and go straight thru the fire because surely there is something GLORIOUS on the other side of this mess, right?

And here folks is where I tell you about how NOT to start 2018 off. My husband was hospitalized for double pneumonia right after Christmas. January 1, he was released from the hospital. He was put on short-term leave from work and was home recovering. Then January 3rd happened.

Great House Flood of 2018

Our house flooded. It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t a pipe burst, it was a lovely toilet overflow that was not pretty. We live in an older house and the valve broke, my husband couldn’t get the water off – ended up finally turning off the water at the main switch.

Our home that we love so much, is destroyed. It’s inhabitable for the time being. Everything is being dried out. Insurance has put us in a hotel for the time being. The dust is overwhelming, as well as the smell.

Forced Minimalism and Living in a Hotel with Kids

We are on night 5 of hotel living. It’s been quite interesting. Living in a hotel with kids is not something I ever expected to do. We have 4 kids, ranging in age from 6 to 14-years old. Yeah, about that. The space in the hotel rooms are limited, this is forced minimalism. My husband and I both work out of the home, me more so than him – but that’s been an adjustment. The kids’ schools are around 15 minutes away, which means we have to wake up earlier. Have I mentioned how much I suck at doing laundry?

Listen, my kids – like most kids, LOVE HOTELS. We have made the living the “suite life” joke everyday since “moving in.”

It Could Have Been Worse

Stepping back, we are so thankful that it wasn’t worse. This could have been a fire and we would have nothing. The damage could be more significant. The list of could have’s is endless. For now, I am exhaling and trying my hardest to NOT let this crazy house incident define our 2018.

Lessons Learned From Living in a Hotel with Kids and From 2017

What can we learn from this? Actually quite a bit. Forced minimalism and being in close quarters with the kids actually has been amazing. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I REALLY miss our home. My beloved bed, having access to a washer and dryer, my DOGS (they have to be boarded) – it’s all a lot of sad but I know there are things that I need to share from this experience and over the next few weeks I’ll be doing just that.

And all that crap that happened in 2017? Everything happens for a reason. I know the funny way the internet works because it’s happened time and time again. By sharing this, someone who is doing a late night Google search will read this and hopefully hear what they need to.

Stay tuned. The least I can do is hopefully help another mother out if ever put in this situation!

Productivity at work is one of my strengths. I enjoy finding ways to get things done more quickly and effectively. With the new year upon us, what better way to start the year than to find ways to be productive.

Productivity Tips for a Successful 2018!

While I love my job and the work that I do, I want to get it done in the most effective way possible so that I can move on to other priorities in life. As a working mom to 4 kids, being productive at work is a must. I have a job to do, and I have my role as a mother. Both require a lot and the best way for me to be the best at both is to be as productive as possible.

Today I am sharing 10 productivity tips that have helped me be successful at work. These tips help me get all the things done and hopefully will help you start 2018 off on the right foot at work!

Say No to Slow Computers – Buy a Faster Computer

This productivity tip is the most important one I have to share with you. Why? We are all digital people now. The majority of our work takes place on computers. Do yourself a favor and buy a faster computer.

There is nothing more frustrating during a work day than wanting to accomplish a task and not having the tools to do so, rendering yourself completely unproductive! We’ve all been there, you know – trying to get something done, on deadline, but your computer just creeps along slowly. It’s painful and totally unnecessary. You must have the right tools to do your job, and if you are suffering due to a slow computer, it’s time to change that! 2018 is your year for productivity.

Save Time – Buy a Faster Computer!

With Intel® Optane™ memory, everything you do on your computer faster. Intel® Optane™ memory is a new class of memory that delivers accelerated performance without sacrificing storage capacity.

It’s a smarter memory that over time learns your computing habits. The files and programs you use the most get prioritized, giving you almost instant access to everything you often need. It makes everything you do feel fast, so you don’t have to slow down when you are viewing large videos and photos, or streaming movies.

Work Smarter – Not Harder

Work smarter, not harder with a new computer. You need a device that works as fast as you do – and with Intel® Optane™ memory, you can have it.

Intel® Optane™ memory is available on select PCs at Office Depot and will help you be more productive saving you time for doing the things you love.

Learn to Say No

No is not a bad word. No is an empowering word. Being in a place where you can say yes to the things that you want and no to everything opens you up to living the life that you want. This isn’t easy – it is definitely easier said than done, but when you learn the power of NO – your life can be changed! Funnel your energy and productivity to the YESes and away from the NOs.

Wake Up Early

The 30-year-old me would have laughed at this productivity tip. Now in my late 30’s as a mom of 4 kids, this tip is gold. My kids wake up at 6:45 am. From the time they wake-up, until the time they walk out the door for school, approximately an hour later they need my assistance.

As much as I hate waking up early, it has become a game changer in regards to productivity. I have 3 days a week that require me to be productive. On these days, I wake up at 5:15 am. I also set an alarm for 6:30 am. This gives me an hour and 15 minutes to get as much done as possible before the kids need me. It never fails, anytime I miss my early wake-up, my day feels way less productive. That extra 75 minutes will help set the pace for getting things done.

I am always surprised how well my brain actually functions on these days. I thought that since I am typically a night-owl, that waking up early – my brain just wouldn’t be functioning at the capacity needed to make it worth it. I was wrong. My brain works just as well, if not better than late at night. I have been lying to myself so that I can sleep in!

Hardest Task First

This may sound counter-intuitive, but this really works! Look at your to-do list. There is always that one task that you really just DO NOT want to do. Do it first. Finishing the hardest task first will get you over that dreaded hump and bump up your day’s productivity.

Set a Schedule

If your job is like mine, where my schedule is flexible – do yourself a favor and set a schedule. I know what you are thinking – doesn’t that take away from having a flexible job? It may feel like that initially, but believe me – by setting boundaries on your hours and creating a schedule, you are implementing a work-life balance. Your work schedule can be as structured or unstructured as you like, but start somewhere and create a partition in your life so that you can define which part of your life belongs to your job.

Write Down Ideas as They Come

Use your note app on your phone and anytime you have a spark of genius – or idea – write it down! As a blogger, I am always looking for good content ideas. By collecting my ideas in a centralized location, when it comes time to create, I have a handy list that acts as a resource on my phone. This saves me time and makes my creative sessions way more productive!

Deal with Distractions

Distractions come in many forms. Sometimes it’s a kid who is calling from school who forgot his lunch, other times it’s Facebook. Find ways to deal with distractions that allows you to still be productive. For example, our kids typically take their lunch but have money in an account for uh-oh days when they forget it. This saves a call home asking mom to stop what she is working on to bring them lunch. Facebook can be a major timesuck. Like I have a schedule for my workday, I also have a schedule for when I let myself on Facebook. Find ways to deal with your distractions. No matter how hard you try, there will ALWAYS be distractions so be proactive in solving as many as possible ahead of time.

Get More Sleep

This is another productivity tip that I would have rolled my eyes at a few years back, but now I know the importance of getting a good nights rest. Sure, in an ideal world we would all get 8 hours of good solid sleep. I aim for 6.5 hours. Something I have learned is that every person requires a different amount of sleep to run at their full capacity. My husband can get 6 hours of sleep and crush his day, but me – if I don’t get the extra half hour more than him, I feel myself dragging.

Find how much sleep your body needs and give it the rest it deserves. You are your productive best when you get your optimal amount of sleep.

Organize Your Desk

My desk is chaos. During the holiday lull, I took time to go thru everything. Pens and markers were organized into a jar. All of the random school papers and kid artwork was organized into a storage filing cabinet. Mounds of random post-it notes and papers were thrown away. As I sat down to start planning for 2018, I was refreshed and motivated by having a clean desk that allows me to know where everything is!

Wear Headphones

Wear headphones? That seems like an odd productivity tip doesn’t it? Listen, here is the deal. If you work in an office, chances are chatty Patty wants to tell you the latest gossip or unnecessary news at random times during the day. This KILLS productivity. While this is not fool-proof, but people are less likely to approach you when they see you as plugged in. I can speak from real life experience on this!

Also in regards to wearing headphones, find music or noise that helps make you productive. Might as well have sound going to your ears when wearing headphone to distract people! I find that Moby really gets me in the “zone” for working. Find what works for you!

Productivity Gives You Freedom

Get your work done so that you have the freedom to do what you want. For me, that freedom is spending time with my kids, streaming Netflix for hours on end (which coincidentally if you have a faster computer will work much better) and finding random ways to be creative. Whatever your why is for being more productive, I hope that these productivity tips help you make 2018 your most productive year yet!

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Digital Mom Blog is a digital lifestyle blog based out of Dallas, TX. We talk technology, parenting, and family.